Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-12
MEXICO AND THE MEAICANS
Things Seen and Heard in Zacatecas,
SwARMIN6 SNEAK-THIEvES-STREEr SCENES FROM A
TRAMwAY-wATER CARRIERS AND MARKETS.
PEON SILVER NINERS-GUADALUPE CATHEDRAL


PEoN SILVER xINERs-GUADALUPE CATHEDRAL.
Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR
AGUAs CALIENTES, MEXICO, March I, 1887.
Scarcely had our train come to halt at Zacate-
cas- ere we were surrounded by motley crowd OF
three hundred of its squalid denizenS They
prowled about our train and rushed frantically
for the garbage thrown out by our walters. Lifted
on one anOther'S shoulders they steal SatchelS aid
oyercoats from the seats in the coaches. Every
window and door must be shut or guarded. They
sneak round and steal the pins and links that con-
meet the cars unless the brakemen are constantly
on the watch. Zacatecas is the capital OF the
state bearing the same name, and We are now 7S5
miles south OF FL Paso Its output Of silver is only
exceeded by two other states in the confederation
We take the tramway, and our four cars
are driven for miles through narrow
street, which runs through tortuous
ravine lying 1895 feet above the sea level The
sides OF the mountains rise abruptly high above
our heads, and adobe and stone huts line the
streets ana run back tier above tier, on the noun
tain sides. The street presents grand
CAvALcADE OF DoNKEYs, BURRos AND MExIcANs.
Each Of our jehus whips his mules into a canter
and toOts horn as danger signal to the trains
OF burrOs laden with mosquito wood, silver ore,
building stone, furniture alfalfa, adobe brick.
chickens, milk cans, live hogs and every other i'm
aginable commodity. The novel sight OF four car
loads Of outside barbarians racing through the
city at breakneck speed called out OF every adobe
half clothed natives Of all Sizes ages and colors and
the driver Of the burro trains to prevent
the barking Of hundreds Of MeSiean ours,
THIS city was rounded in 1885, receiving It's char
ter from Philip H. OF Spain LII 1545 its rich silver
mines were discovered ana hundreds OF millions
honeycombed with mines that are enriching their
owners to-day. We leave our cars at the
plaza and the first strange sight we encounter is
q water carriers waiting their
their jars from fountain which Is surrounded by
a motley group OF men, women AID children, Who
are slowly filling their jars from the ScanUy sup
ply that flows slowly into this common receptacle
Their jars are OF all forms and shape, are mostly
of pottery, and are carried either on the head,
strung on two sticks over the shoulder or strapped
on the back. Water is free to the carriers but he
makes a few pennies by distributing it to custom
there was scarcely appetizing. We breakfasted in
the hotel car, fortunately for us The street is dry
and articles are arranged on the ground for sale.
tortiila, BEANS sheepheads, entraiis &C.
&C. enough to give any man the Dyspepsia to
Mexican's stomach Is like that OF the burro he
rides Anything that either swallows is food and is
| easily digested. On all the mountain sides tall
smoking chimneys in ancient stone enclosures,
are evidences OF
PAST AND PRESENT MINING INDUSTRIES
Entering a shaft, opened $50 years ago, by q
strange light we find our way far into the bowels Of
the earth. Ever and anon we meet strange,
we,rd-looking beings coming towards us like imps
Of darkness entirely naked Or with a dirty cloth
about the lOins. On their backs they carry an
enormous load OF broken silver ore, their sandaled
fathers trOd for generations. These poems are
moderately honest, but the OverSeer, We noticed
made q thorough search OF their wardrObes when
the hour came for change Of laborers. Within
high walled enclosure the ore is crushed
and and is reduced by the Patio process, in:
mHSR the crushed ore with ana
| by driving mules around In the muddy mass
The average life OF the mule is about two years
in this mass, does not outliye the mule
very long. BY. special permission we visited
the mint, and came away satisfied that
| and her ability to coin adobe dollars were
| O guarantee that her vaults never need be empty
We walked through its great cathedral, commenced
! I'm 1859 The structure was 125 years in building
and its immense cost was paid by tax OF l2ts
cents ON each marco $500 taken out OF its mines
ace the hotel which 900 years ago was an Old
monastery, whose cloisters are now rooms f0l
| guests, and everywhere are treated with marked
respect Six miles distant Is the beautiful suburb
| OF Guadalupe, to which we journey at an amazing
| speed by gravity tramWay, to be tugged back by
SIX mules. The city has 5000 Inhabitants, with
| clean streets and beautiful gardens. We visit
| here
AN IMMENSE CATHEDRAL, CRuc1FoRM IN SHAPE,
and near two centuries old. Its tiled dome, min.
arets and towers bespeak its ancient character,
Its interior decOratl0nS us principal altar, the
| fourteen minor ones, the two great organs, the
gallery for the choir and the confessionals are all
upon It's votaies There s.
| with this church memorial chapel, just COM
pleted, that is beautiful beyond description. The
| panelS, columns and cOrniceS are delicate carv-
| ing in stone, overla1d with heavy gold leaf.
The altar is P urest o Mexican onyx the cost
Completed structure was the gift Of
benevolent Catholic lady. We wandered
through an old convent whose walls are still
adorned with horrtd pictures OF the InQuisition.
There is female IN agony, her feet in the stocks.
that could be invented seem to have been common
in past generations in this land. This old clOis-
| tered structure Is now used as an orphanage, one
OF the most charitable institutions In the republic.
| 1t was rounded by Gen. Cardena in 1873. Fol
some fancied opposition 70 the government
| The institution still lives and one thou
! sand orphans are being educated and taught
| useful trades. We passed through the factory
where they were weaving In their ancient looms
Zarapes tshawls}, with bright rainbow col0rs, and
visited the Scholastic deaf mute department. A
| brass band, composed OF sixty orphan boys, two
| th1rds being Indians, played to our great gfatif
cation The Star Spangied Banner, and never did II
awaken such blessed memories as when in
foreign Land It's strains rang out through the an
| strange sights and scenes by tramway We reach
| our train, which bears US onward over q fertile
main to AguAS CalieNtee, 364 miles north Of thu
| city Oh Mexico where we stop for day. O. r. r
BI6AMY AND PROBABLY MURDER-At cambridge
Ca, THURSDAY, the wife Of J. U, Hawley died from
| band by mistake Y u said, for Quinine. When
| was arrested for btgamy. He confessed having 9